Christian is based in our Washington, DC office and is a Senior Vice President of ML Strategies. He assists a variety of clients in their interactions with the federal government.
Prior to joining ML Strategies, Christian spent 20 years on Capitol Hill, the last 10 of which he served as Senior Counsel and Subcommittee Staff Director on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In so doing, he served under the current Chair, Senator Maria Cantwell (D – WA), as well as former Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and former Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL). In this capacity, his work focused on a broad range of issues, including consumer protection, privacy and data security, cybersecurity, automobile and highway safety, product safety, sports, manufacturing, exports, and trade, while regularly interacting with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the Department of Commerce.
Earlier, Christian held senior staff and advisory roles with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy & Commerce, where he worked on matters related to the FTC, NHTSA, CPSC, Department of Commerce, and the EPA.
Christian also previously served as a Senior Legislative Assistant to former Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) and to former US Representative Bill Luther (D-MN), advising each on Energy & Commerce Committee issues.
viewpoints
White House AI Policy Update: Utah AI Bill Opposition, Tech Corps Launch, and State of the Union Data Center Announcements — AI: The Washington Report
February 27, 2026 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Nicole Y. Teo
Get the latest on the White House’s opposition to Utah’s AI bill and the new Tech Corps initiative in this edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
AI Acquihires Under Fire: FTC Signals HSR Scrutiny — AI: The Washington Report
February 20, 2026 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Nicole Y. Teo
Read about the FTC’s sharpening focus on AI acquihires in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Emerging Federal AI Strategy: FTC Sets Aside Rytr Consent Order; and Uncertainty Looms with BEAD Funding and State AI Laws — AI: The Washington Report
February 13, 2026 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Nicole Y. Teo
Read about the FTC’s shift in AI enforcement, NTIA’s BEAD funding uncertainty, and growing federal-state AI tensions in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
NY Enacts RAISE Act Amid Federal AI Security Push — AI: The Washington Report
February 12, 2026 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Nicole Y. Teo
New York’s RAISE Act and a forthcoming White House AI security framework signal growing oversight of frontier AI, cybersecurity standards, and state‑federal alignment.
NIST Expands Federal AI Capacity; Florida Proposes AI Bill of Rights — AI: The Washington Report
January 13, 2026 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Nicole Y. Teo
Discover how NIST’s $20M investment in new AI centers and Florida’s proposed AI Bill of Rights may shape the future of US AI policy in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Instacart Agrees to Settlement in FTC Lawsuit Over Deceptive Marketing Tactics and AI-Driven Pricing — AI: The Washington Report
December 30, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Aliza Inam
Read about the FTC’s settlement with Instacart and what it signals for companies deploying AI-driven tools in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Federal Takeover of AI Governance? Breaking Down the White House’s New Executive Order — AI: The Washington Report
December 18, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Nicole Y. Teo
Read about the White House’s bold step to reshape AI regulation nationwide in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
The Genesis Mission and State Attorneys General AI Task Force: Federal Acceleration vs. State Resistance — AI: The Washington Report
December 9, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Nicole Y. Teo
Discover how the Genesis Mission is shaping US AI policy with a federal push for centralized R&D, new AI legislation, and a growing clash with state regulators.
Federal Preemption in AI Governance: What the Expected Executive Order Means for Your State Compliance Strategy — AI: The Washington Report
November 21, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Nicole Y. Teo
Read about a draft Executive Order that signals a major shift in AI governance in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
White House Pursues Multilateral Approach to AI Leadership Amid Trade Negotiations and Commerce Department’s AI Exports Program — AI: The Washington Report
October 31, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Erek Barron, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Nicole Y. Teo
Read about how the US government is taking steps toward creating a global AI ecosystem built on American innovation in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
News & Press
JD Supra has recognized ten Mintz attorneys in its 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. The awards recognize attorneys and firms whose articles on the JD Supra platform were most read by C-suite executives, in-house counsel, media, and other professionals during 2024.
Privacy Implications of the Facebook Whistleblower Testimony
October 19, 2021
Cyber Standards for Connected Devices Leverage Federal Purchases
January 5, 2021
How The Election Could Reshape The Telecom Industry
November 2, 2020
Myriad Section 230 Bills Show Agreement Still Out Of Reach
October 19, 2020
Special Report: The Mask Middlemen - How Pop-Up Brokers Seek Big Paydays in a Frenzied Market
April 1, 2020
The Impact of AI: Bay Area Experts Discuss the Meaning of Artificial Intelligence and How it Will Affect the Economy and Society
January 24, 2020
Events & Speaking
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Managing the Privacy & Cybersecurity Risks
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Health Care & Cybersecurity: A Powerful Combination
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Recognition & Awards
JD Supra Readers’ Choice Award, Top Author – Artificial Intelligence, 2025
Recent Insights
AI Acquihires Under Fire: FTC Signals HSR Scrutiny — AI: The Washington Report
February 20, 2026| Article
